Flame shapers



Sept. 12, 1961 J. T. ALGER 2,999,535

FLAME SHAPERS Filed March 20. 1957 INVENTOR.

Jerry Tfllyer ilnited States Patent G 2,999,535 FLAME SHAPERS Jerry T.Alger, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Configured TubeProducts Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 20,1957, Ser. No. 647,302 Claims. (Cl. 158-413) This invention relates toflame shapers or spreaders for gas burners, or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a flame shaper thatmay be mounted on a gas burner tube so as to produce a long flat flamewhich is directed ob liquely from the end of the tube, in a downward orlateral direction.

A further object is to provide a new and improved flame shaper orspreader of the foregoing character which will produce a flame adaptedto be deflected upwardly or laterally by a forced draft, as in a clothesdryer, or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear fromthe following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, inwhich FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a gas burner with aflame shaper or spreader that will be described as an illustrativeembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged central elevational sectional view of theburner and flame shaper shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front end view of the flame shaper.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the flame shaper of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a modified flame shaper.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the modified flame shaper of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is a front end view of the flame shaper of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a rear end view, showing a special application of the flameshaper of FIG. 5, with the flame shaper tilted laterally.

it will be seen that FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a known form of burnertube 10, having a port 12 adapted to discharge a mixture of fuel andair, for combustion in a flame having its base adjacent to the port. Itwill also be seen that the burner tube 10 is turned inwardly around theport 12 at an acute angle, to define a flange 14. The tube 10 is shownas being horizontal.

The main flame from the burner tube 10 is deflected downwardly orlaterally, in this case downwardly, by a flame shaper or spreader 16which is in the general form of an inverted shovel or scoop. Thus, theflame shaper 16 has a pair of side walls or flanges 1 8 with a top wallor web 20 extending therebetween. It will be seen that the top wall 20is flat in form and is inclined downwardly across the axis of the burnertube 10. Thus, the top wall deflects the flame downwardly, whilecooperating with the side wall flanges 18 to flatten and lengthen theflame. In FIG. 1, the flame is indicated at 22.

The side flanges 18 have mounting legs or extensions 24 which straddlethe end of the burner tube 10 and are welded or otherwise suitablysecured thereto. The mounting legs 24 space the inclined top wall 20outwardly from the end of the burner tube It) so that a definite gap 26is formed therebetween.

To provide a small retaining flame 28 adjacent to the base of the mainflame, an ear or flange '30 is arranged to project upwardly from theinner end of the top wall 2i It will be seen that the car 30 catches asmall part of the combustible mixture and directs it into the retainingflame. The small retaining flame 28 has the effect of stabilizing themain flame 22 so that the main flame will not readily be blown out.

The exact flame pattern produced by the flame shaper ice 1 16 canreadily be varied by changing the proportions of the flame shaper. Thus,the angularity of the top wall 20 determines the extent to which theflame is deflected downwardly. The length and narrowness of the flamemay be increased by increasing the length of the side and top walls 18and 20, and decreasing the spacing between the side walls.

The flame shaper 16 is especially well adapted for use in a clothesdryer or some other device in which a forced updraft, represented at 32in FIG. 1, is normally produced adjacent the outer end of the main flame22. It will be understood that the forced draft 32 is produced by ablower or the like, not shown. The forced draft has the effect ofdeflecting the outer end of the flame 22 upwardly, generally to theposition shown in full lines in FIG. 1. When the forced draft is absent,the flame shaper 16 will have the effect of deflecting the flame to alower path, indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1. This movement of theflame 22 may be utilized to operate a safety switch or other controldevice 34, adapted to shut off the burner 10 when the forced draft 3!)is absent. It will be seen that the safety switch 34 is positioned inthe lower path occupied by the flame when the forced draft 32 is notpresent, but is below the normal path of the flame. Thus, the heat ofthe flame will operate the safety switch 34 only when the forced draftis absent.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the slightly modified flame shaper 36 adapted toproduce a narrower flame than that produced by the flame shaper of FIGS.1-4. Thus, the flame shaper 36 has side wall flanges 38 which taper orconverge toward each other, from their inner to their outer ends. Asbefore, a top wall 40 extends between the side wall flang s 38 and isinclined downwardly between those inner and outer ends, but, in thiscase, the angle of inclination is somewhat less than in the flame shaperof FIG. 1. As in the first embodiment, the side wall flanges 38 havemounting leg portions 42, which straddle the burner tube 10 and spacethe top wall 46 outwardly from the end of the burner tube. At the innerend of the upper wall 40 an upwardly directed flange or car 44 providesa retaining flame as before.

FIG. 8 shows a special application of the flame shaper 36, with theflame shaper tilted laterally so as to provide a flame which isdeflected laterally, as well as downwardly, by the inclined top wall 40.

The flame shapers have the important advantage of producing a flamewhich is long and flat and which is inclined downwardly. As alreadyindicated, the flame shaper may be employed to advantage where there isa forced updraft that normally will deflect the outer end of the flameupwardly, away from the safety device that will cut off the flame if theupdraft is absent. Thus, the flame shaper may be employed in clothesdryers or other devices utilizing a forced air blast.

Various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may beemployed without departing from the true spirit and scope of theinvention, as exemplified in the foregoing description and defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. In a. burner, the combination comprising a mixture tube with a frontend having an axial discharge port therein to discharge fuel-air mixturefrom said tube, a generally inverted channel-shaped flame shaper havinga substantially flat planar top wall spaced forwardly from the end ofsaid mixture tube and inclined downwardly between its rear and frontends across the axis of said mixture tube to deflect most of the mixturedownwardly to form a main flame portion, a pair of laterally spacedsubstantially flat generally vertical sidewall flanges projectingdownwardly from said top wall and extending generally from rear to frontalong said top wall to confine the portion of -the-mixture interceptedby said top wall, said sidewall flanges having leg portions constitutingrearward extensions thereof and extending rearwardly of the rear end ofsaid top wall and terminating in mounting portions secured to saidmixture' tube, said leg portions having a gap therebetween openingupwardly between said front end of said tube and said rear end'of saidtop wall, and a substantially vertical flame-retaining wall portionextending upwardly from the rear end of said top wall and in atransverse direction relative to the general direction of said sidewallflangm, said flame-retaining wall being spaced forwardly from the end ofsaid tube at the frontend of said gap, the lower portion of saidflame-retaining wall being-disposed belowthe level of the upper portionof said port for intercepting and upwardly deflecting a portion of themixture through said gap to form a relatively small secondary flameportion.

2. In a burner, the combination comprising a mixture tube with a frontend having an axial discharge port therein to discharge fuel-air mixturefrom said tube, a generally channel-shaped flame shaper having asubstantially straight planar deflecting wall with its rear end spacedforwardly from the end of said tube and extending obliquely from rear tofront across the axis of said tube at a small angle to said axis fordeflecting most of the mix ture in one transverse direction to forma'main flame portion, a pair of'opposed laterally spaced sidewallflanges projecting from said deflecting wall in said one transversedirection and extending generally from rear to front along saiddeflecting wall to confine the portion of the mixture intercepted bysaid deflecting wall, said sidewall flanges having leg portionsconstituting rearward extensions thereof and extending rearwardly of therear end of said deflecting wall and terminating in mounting portionssecured to said mixture tube, said leg portions having a gaptherebetween opening upwardly between said front end of said tube andsaid rear end of said deflecting wall, and a flame-retaining wallconnected to said rear end of said deflecting wall atthe front end ofsaid gap and extending from said deflecting wall in a directiongenerally opposite to said one transverse direction,

said flame-retaining wall extending transversely to the generaldirection of said sidewall flanges and being spaced forwardly from thefront end of said tube and opposite a portion of said port forintercepting and deflecting a portion of the mixture through said gapbetween said flame-retaining wall and said tube to form a relativelysmall secondary flame portion.

3. In a burner, the combination comprising a mixture tube with a frontend having an axial discharge port therein to discharge fuel-air mixturefrom said tube, a generally channel-shaped flame shaper having asubstantially straight planar deflecting wall with its rear end spacedforwardly from the end of said tube and extending obliquely from rear tofront across the axis of said tube at a small angle to said axis fordeflecting most of the mixture in one transverse direction to form amain flame portion, a pair of opposed laterally spaced sidewall flangesprojecting from said deflecting wall in said one transverse directionand extending generally from rear to front along said deflecting wall toconfine the portion of the mixture intercepted by said deflecting wall,said sidewall flanges converging progressively to a substantial extenttoward each other in a forward direction, said sidewall flanges havingleg portions constituting rearward extensions thereof and extendingrearwardly of the rear end of said deflecting wall and terminating inmounting portions secured to said mixture tube, said leg portions havinga gap therebetween opening upwardly between said front end of said tubeand said rear end ofsaid deflecting wall, and a flameretaining wallconnected to said rear end of said deflecting wall at the front end ofsaid gap and extending from said deflecting wall in a directiongenerally opposite to said one transverse direction, saidflame-retaining Wall extending transversely to thegeneral'direction ofsaid sidewall flanges and being spaced forwardly from the front end ofsaid tube and opposite a portion of said port for'intercepting anddeflecting a portion of the mixture through said gap between saidflame-retaining wall and said tube to form a relatively small secondaryflame portion.

4. In a burner, the combination comprising a generally horizontalmixture tube with a front end having an axial discharge port therein todischarge fuel-air mixture from said tube, a generally invertedchannel-shaped flame shaper having a substantially straight planartop-wall with its rear end spaced forwardly from the end-of said'tubeand inclined downwardly between its rear and front ends across the axisof said tube for deflecting most of the mixture downwardly to form amain flame portion, a pair of opposed laterally spaced sidewall flangesprojecting downwardly from said top wall and extending generally fromrear to front along said top wall to confine the portion of the mixtureintercepted by said top wall, said sidewall flanges having leg portionsconstituting rearward extensions thereof and extending rearwardly of therear end of said top wall and terminating in mounting portions securedto said mixture tube, said leg portions having a gap therebetweenopening upwardly between said front end of said tube and said rear endof said top wall, and a flame-retaining wall connected to the rear endof said top wall at the front end-of said gap and extending upwardlyfrom said top Wall and in a transverse direction relative to the generaldirectionof said sidewall flanges, said flame-retaining wall beingspaced forwardly from the front end of said tube and opposite a portionof said port for carrying a portion of-the mixture upwardly through saidgap to form a relatively small upwardly directed secondary flameportion.

5. A flame shaper for use on the front end of a mixture tube of aburner, said flame shaper comprising a generally inverted channel-shapedstructure having a pair of spaced opposed substantially flat generallyvertical sidewall flanges extending generally in a rear-to-frontdirection with a substantially flat planar top wall extendingtherebetween and inclined downwardly between its rear and front endsfordeflecting fuel-air mixture downwardly to form a main flame-portion,said sidewall flanges having leg portions constituting rearwardextensions thereof and extending rearwardly of the rear end of said topwall, said leg portions having mounting portions at their rear ends formounting said flame shaper on a mixture tube with the rear end of saidtopwall spaced forwardly therefrom, said leg portions having an upwardlyopening gap therebetween with the rear end of said top Wall at the frontend of said gap, and a flame-retaining wall projecting upwardly from therear end of said top wall at the front end of said gap and extendingtransversely to the general direction of said sidewall flanges forcarrying a portion of the mixture-upwardly through said gap to form anupwardly directed relatively small secondary flame portion, saidsidewall flanges converging progressively toward each other to asubstantial extent in a forward direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.128,490 Hayes July 29, 1941 1,618,269 Cox Feb. 22, 1927 1,691,607 KerrNov. 13, 1928 1,801,459 Slauter Apr. 21, 1931

